In the past few years, we have seen an increase in the growth in cyber threats. The threats range from simple easy to fix to the sometimes disastrous. As these threats evolve, we have also seen the evolution of a formerly overlooked player: The Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO.
The role of the security leader is becoming more critical, especially when it comes to managing enterprise risk, deploying security analytics and protecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The CISO was first brought into the modern business organization to monitor and analyze potential security risks for the company. Traditionally, CISOs have come more from the technical side and perhaps did not have to understand the whole business.
That is changing as their roles in the organizations in which they work in having lead to them not only need to have the technical expertise and leadership skills but also understand their company’s operations and articulate security priorities from a business perspective.
Below are six ways in which the role of the CISOs are changing today.
1. The CISO has taken on the role of “coach”
The acronym CISO has taken on a new definition. The “C” now also stands for coach. Research by the Ponemon Institute shows CISOs are shifting into a coaching role. The primary driver of this is a demand to help business lines shore up their cybersecurity defenses.
Department heads are now seeking the CISO’s counsel regarding the company’s technology infrastructure. That can be issues like compliance with the company’s acceptable use policy, cybersecurity best practices and talking points for department heads to use with their teams. Some CISOs are being asked to coach executives about GDPR and data privacy and, as a result, are working closely with the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO), or adding the CPO designation.
As a coach or mentor, CISOs need to give advice and guidance freely and strike an optimistic tone.
2. Embracing organizational leadership
Given the increased reliance on technology as well as new regulations focused on cybersecurity and data privacy, CISOs that can deliver clear, actionable, role-based messages have seen their stature rise. Forward-thinking CISOs are taking advantage of their increased visibility, leveraging their ascension to leadership to further their initiatives.
Showcase how the CISO role benefits the organization and helps progress toward company goals. It’s the secret to securing budget and resources. Speak the company’s language, be mindful of company priorities and show how proposals impact what’s vital to the company.
To illustrate, Jeff Lowder, former CISO and CPO (Chief Privacy Officer), of OpenMarket, a leading mobile messaging company, took inspiration from his company’s mission statement and its reference to trust. An ISO 27001 information security program was labeled “Enterprise Trust Initiative” with a value proposition to “increase customer trust in OpenMarket by providing services that allow us to manage information risk to the right level at the right cost.” It made the program sound more company-centric, which resonated with company executives.
3. Elevating information security
CISOs are challenged by what to share in the way of findings. Nobody wants to be an alarmist, then again you don’t want to feel like you’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Forward-thinking CISOs generate reports that offer a top-level view based on organizational goals and risks with supporting data. These CISOs know upper management wants to understand not just the threat level but also risks to assets, the bottom line and reputation.
Surescripts, the nation’s largest health information network, uses a technology platform to create a real-time visual report for the company’s executive leadership. The CISO aggregates and links data from multiple sources to communicate objectively with reputable information. Executives access the high-level review and can dive in deeper where necessary to make data-driven decisions.
4. Embracing continuous monitoring
More and more, security teams are separating from IT departments and are becoming a separate business function. CISOs own information security, but IT owns asset protection. How well do they know the assets they’re protecting and their configurations? Organizations typically scan monthly or quarterly. Meanwhile, the risk of a breach occurs daily.
Forward-thinking CISOs are investing in systems that can continuously monitor and audit asset security. They are seeing ways to identify asset misconfigurations, as well as uncover unknown assets, applications, and other security risks. Periodic assessments are great for compliance, but for information security in 2019, CISOs need continuous monitoring. No waiting for scans means less stress.
5. Prioritizing vulnerabilities
The CISO is ultimately responsible for addressing vulnerabilities to the network and systems. What’s challenging is determining which vulnerability to tackle first, second, third and so on.
A developing best practice among CISOs prioritizing vulnerabilities based on criticality to the organization. For example, Plamen Martinov, CISO, of The University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division (BSD), directs a team that uses an asset value ranking system based on confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) to determine the criticality of the asset. BSD’s platform automatically performs a priority impact analysis that factors in the CIA score with each new vulnerability. It’s more efficient and effective.
Streamlined processes that utilize automation can make CISOs and their staffs more productive. Automation of routine tasks frees up time for higher-value projects.
6. Leveraging frameworks
Frameworks like NIST provide controls and guidance that support the CISO’s efforts to drive information security. Are you leveraging information security frameworks? Forward-thinking CISOs do, and it’s helping them excel in complex compliance environments.
Jeff Lowder, OpenMarket's former CISO, adopted all 18 control families in the NIST SP 800-53r4 framework, plus created a 19th custom control family. Because it’s all on the same platform and following the principle of one control complies with many regulations, OpenMarket maintains compliance with 173 contracts and 254 compliance mandates. If there’s ever an issue, Lowder can use the platform to gain instant visibility into any contract or compliance mandate.
The CISO world is complicated enough. A framework provides an advanced starting point, along with essential guidance and support.
It’s easy to dwell on the negative or fall into the trap of misery loves company. It’s far harder to envision a future for CISOs that’s filled with promise and yet, it’s happening. Forward-thinking CISOs in all industries are paving the way forward by taking on coaching, embracing organizational leadership, and adopting frameworks in technology platforms designed for information security management.
As Stephen Hawking said, “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” If anybody can adapt to change and thrive, it’s smart CISOs.
About the author: Jonas Kelley is the Cybersecurity Solutions Team Leader of Lockpath, a provider of integrated risk management solutions.
